Part 58

he dawntede þe proude Centauris half hors half man.

{and} he rafte þe despoylynge fro þe cruel lyou{n} þat is to seyne he slouȝ þe lyou{n} {and} [[pg 148]] rafte hy{m} hys skyn.

he smot þe brids þat hyȝte{n} 4261 arpijs [in þe palude of lyrne] wiþ certeyne arwes.

he rauyssed applis fro þe wakyng dragou{n}. {and} hys hand was þe more heuy for þe golde 4264 metal.

He drouȝ Cerberus þe hound of helle by hys treble cheyne.

he ouer-comer as it is seid haþ put an vnmeke lorde fodre to hys cruel hors ¶ þis is to sein. þat hercules slouȝ diomedes {and} made his hors 4268 to etyn hym.

and he hercules slouȝ Idra þe serpent {and} brend þe venym.

and achelaus þe flode defouled in his forhede dreint his shamefast visage in his strondes. þis is to sein þat achelaus couþe transfigure 4272 hym self in to dyuerse lykenesse. {and} as he fauȝt wiþ orcules at þe laste he t{ur}nid hym in to a bole and hercules brak of oon of hys hornes. {and} achelaus for shame hidde hym in hys ryuer.

¶ And hercules 4276 *cast adou{n} Antheus þe geaunt in þe strondes of libye.

{and} kacus apaised þe wraþþes of euander. þis is to sein þat hercules slouȝ þe Monstre kacus {and} apaised wiþ þat deeþ þe wraþþe of euander.

¶ And 4280 þe bristled boor marked wiþ scomes þe sholdres of hercules. þe whiche sholdres þe heye cercle of heuene sholde þreste.

{and} þe laste of his labo{ur}s was þat he sustened þe heuene vpo{n} his nekke vnbowed.

{and} he 4284 deserued eftsones þe heuene to ben þe pris of his laste trauayle

¶ Goþ now þan ȝe stronge men þere as þe heye weye of þe grete ensample ledeþ ȝou. ¶ O nice men whi nake ȝe ȝoure bakkes. as who seiþ.

¶ O ȝe 4288 slowe {and} delicat men whi fley ȝe aduersites. {and} ne [[pg 149]] fyȝte{n} nat aȝeins hem by vertue to wynnen þe mede of þe heuene.

for þe erþe ouer-come{n} ȝeueþ þe sterres. ¶ þis is to seyne þat whan þat erþely lust is ouer-comen. 4292 a man is maked worþi to þe heuene.

EXPLICIT LIBER QUARTUS.

INCIPIT LIBER QUINTUS.

DIXERAT ORACIONISQ{UE} CURSUM.

++She hadde seid {and} to{ur}ned þe cours of hir resou{n} to so{m}me oþ{er} þinges to ben tretid {and} to ben ysped.

þan seide I. Certys ryȝtful is þin amonestyng {and} ful 4296 digne by auctorite. but þat þou seidest som tyme þat þe questiou{n} of þe deuyne p{ur}ueaunce is enlaced wiþ many oþer questiou{n}s. I vndir-stonde wel {and} p{ro}ue it by þe same þinge.

but I axe yif þat þou wenest þat hap 4300 be any þing in any weys. {and} if þou wenest þat hap be any [thing] what is it.

þan q{uo}d she. I haste me to ȝelden {and} assoilen þe to þe dette of my byheste {and} to shewen {and} opnen þe wey by whiche wey þou maist 4304 come aȝein to þi contre.

¶ but al be it so þat þe þinges whiche þat þou axest b{e}n ryȝt p{ro}fitable to knowe. ȝitte ben þei diuers somwhat fro þe paþe of my purpos.

And it is to douten þat þou ne be maked weery by 4308 mysweys so þat þou ne mayst nat suffise to mesure{n} þe ryȝt weye.

¶ Ne doute þe þer-of no þing q{uo}d I. for forto knowen þilke þinges to-gidre in þe whiche þinges I delite me gretly. þat shal ben to me in stede of reste. 4312 Syn it nis nat to douten of þe þinges folwy{n}ge whan euery side of þi disputisou{n} shal be stedfast to me by vndoutous feiþ. þan seide she. þat manere wol I don þe. {and} byga{n} to speken ryȝt þus [[pg 150]]

¶ Certys q{uo}d she 4316 yif any wyȝt diffinisse hap in þis manere. þat is to seyn.

þat hap is bytidynge y-brouȝt forþe by foelyshe moeuynge. {and} by no knyttyng of causes. ¶ I conferme þat hap nis ryȝt nauȝt in no wise. and I deme al 4320 outerly þat hap nis ne dwelliþ but a voys. ¶ As who seiþ. but an ydel worde wiþ outen any significac{i}ou{n} of þing summittid to þat vois.